3:00am is an ungodly hour to wake up on a Saturday. It’s going on three weeks that I’ve been dragging myself out of my bed to suit up in dark, muted clothes and silently trek into the depths of D.C.’s dark underbelly with law enforcement in tow.
Let me backtrack.
A couple of months ago, I started working with an anti-human trafficking group based in D.C. I had started learning about domestic trafficking issues out of pure interest and near obsession to get to the root of such a lucrative, criminal industry. I always figured this was a marginal issue that happened in other countries but it didn’t dawn on me until recently that there was a sizable population of (mostly) girls and women who are trafficked into sex work right here. We could go into stats and figures and all that but I find that boots on the ground is a lot more demonstrative and helpful than numbers. Probably because I nearly failed calculus. Twice.
After completing many hours of training in vicarious trauma, internet crimes, criminal lingo, mandated reporting, the role of law enforcement, and the nature of trafficking in D.C., I was finally offered some shifts doing street outreach in some of D.C.’s harder-hit neighborhoods. For that, I would be paired with a police officer on foot for protection, another advocate, and a separate officer in a patrol car who would scope out potential victims and act as an escape route should anything escalate with a buyer or trafficker.*
Our ultimate goal is to approach potential victims, hand out hygiene kits, and offer help with housing, legal counsel, or referrals should they ever choose to leave (all while being trauma-informed). This becomes harder when a pimp is keeping watch, so knowing when to make an approach and being situationally aware is vital to keeping both you and your target safe.
I’m not an expert at this point but my initial shifts have led to a few key takeaways:
- Trafficking does not look at all like it does in Hollywood. I can’t share info about where we go, but this is not the movie Taken.
- Black and brown girls and women, homeless people, and transgendered women are much more vulnerable populations because of underlying economic and social inequalities.
- Most trafficking does not happen on the street. It is far easier to exploit people online and hide behind encrypted apps whose servers are hosted internationally.
- Trafficking victims blend seamlessly with sex workers in our current legal system.
- MS-13 and gang related trafficking is a major issue in D.C.
- COVID has exacerbated domestic trafficking.
- Cops know the best breakfast places.
It’s been pretty disheartening to engage in this work, but I’m amazed at the resilience of everyone I’ve worked with so far. Feel free to reach out with any questions and thanks for reading.
*Still alive, Mom & Dad!
Girl Meets Buoy ... 